Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00438)

I just posted that on another forum that Sufi comes from sufl which 
means 'wool' like the woolen clothes they wore, as a retro to simple 
clothing in expressing direct displeasure over the rich caliphs and 
their fine clothing. That was from one reference source. I don't know 
if it is true or not.

Netemara
*************

-- In theos-talk@y..., "Morten Nymann Olesen" <global-theosophy@a...> 
wrote:
> 
> Hi Dallas and all of you,
> 
> Thanks for your very kind answer Dallas.
> 
> The following could maybe enhance something, while keeping in mind, 
that I
> hold the below word "Sufi" to be the same as the 
word "Theosophist" - as the
> Ancient Wisdom Teaching of all ages past:
> 
> 
> The Sufis are also called -
> "heart spies", "the lovers", "the builders", "the people of 
truth", "the
> near ones", "the Masters", "the pillars", "the rose", --- or ---
> "Mutassawif", "the Blamworhty", "those in white clothes" (a kind of
> 'clairvoyant' version), ...etc.
> ...
> The Sufis claim that a certain kind of mental and other activity can
> produce, under special conditions and with perticular efforts, what 
is
> termed a higher working of the mind, leading to special perceptions 
whose
> apparatus is latent in the ordinary man, Sufism is therefore the
> transcending of ordinary limitations
> 
> ...
> It would maybe reduce the problems of the student to learn that it 
is said,
> with all the authority of the Jewish Encyclopedia, that the Hebrew 
experts
> regard the Cabbala and the Hasidim, the Jewish mystics, as 
originating with
> Sufism or a tradition identical with it.
> (*Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. XI, pp. 579,580,581 et passim. Jewish 
sages
> regarded by Western Scholars as following the Spanish Sufi Schools 
include:
> Juda Halevi of Toledo, in his Cuzari; Moses ben Ezra of Granada; 
Josef ben
> Zadiq of Cordoba, in his Microcosmus; Samuel ben Tibbon; Simtob ben
> Falaquera.*)
> Neither would it encourage him/her to hear, that although the Sufis
> themselves claim that their knowledge has existed for thousands of 
years,
> they deny that is is - derivative, - affirming that it is 
equivalence of the
> Hermetic, Phytagorean and Plantonic streams. (Identity of Sufi 
ideas with
> ancient Egyptian, Phytagorean and Platonic schools noted; by M.A. 
Ubicini,
> Letters on Turkey (London, 1856).
> 
> Our still uninitiated student may by now be thoroughly confues; but 
he/she
> had a glimpse of the problems of studying Sufi ideas, even if only 
because
> he for himself can witness for himself the unproductive struggle of 
the
> scholastics.
> 
> ...
> Since Sufi study is carried out mainly by direct methods (and it 
has known
> to be conveyed entirely by gesture, symbol and demonstration), when 
we lose
> this element in our study, relying upon books, we must be at the 
mercy of
> those who advance al kinds of subjective theories.
> ...
> Serious problems in locating genuine and relevant Sufi ideas and 
practises
> exist, too, for any student who has alreday met a watered-down, 
generalized
> or partial variety of Sufism, wheather in the East or in the West. 
There are
> many hundreds of people in America and Europe who practise 'dervish 
dance,
> whirling or turning' in spite of the fact that it is psecifically 
on record
> in easily accessible dervish litterature, that this practise was 
especially,
> precribed, for local reasons, by Rumi (A great Sufi and poet; d. 
1273) for
> the people of Asia Minor in the region of Iconium.
> (Shamsudin Ahmad El-Aflaki, Munaqib El-Arfin: trans. Redhouse 
as "The Acts
> of Adepts" (London 1881); reprinted in facsimile ed. Kingston 
as "Legends
> of the Sufis" (London 1965). See also El-Ghazali, "Alchemy of 
Happiness".)
> 
> ******
> 
> There is the awkward fact, that the so-called Companions of the 
Bench - the
> Ashab as-Safa - are traditionally soppposed to be the sufis of the 
time of
> Mohammed (d. 632). It is said, that they formed themselves in to an 
esoteric
> group in the year 623 A. D. And that their name is a derivation 
from the
> phrase Ashab as-Safa.
> "Sawfa" meaning "piety" and "saff" (contracted from the 
phrase 'First Rank
> of the Worhty').
> 
> "saff" - "safran" - "sif" - "sign" - "design" .....
> 
> ***
> These are the words taken in part from the Afghan Sufi - Idries Shah
> (d.1996), who lived England.
> ***
> 
> To the reader: Feel free to enlighten us all...
> 
> 
> from
> M. Sufilight with some new sounds of..."free cultural mixing"...<:-)
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <dalval14@e...>
> To: "AA-B-Study" <study@b...>
> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 9:24 PM
> Subject: Theos-World RE: Where does the word Sufi originate ?
> 
> 
> > Nov 15 2002
> >
> > Re: "Sufi" -- ( also "white," and "pure")
> >
> > Dear Friend:
> >
> > Here is an entry from H P B's THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY p. 311
> >
> > SUFFISM (Gr.). From the root of Sophia, "Wisdom ". A mystical 
sect in
> > Persia something like the Vedantins; though very strong in 
numbers,
> > none but very intelligent men join it. They claim, and very 
justly,
> > the possession of the esoteric philosophy and doctrine of true
> > Mohammedanism. The Suffi (or Sofi) doctrine is a good deal in 
touch
> > with Theosophy, inasmuch as it preaches one universal creed, and
> > outward respect and tolerance for every popular exoteric faith. 
It is
> > also in touch with Masonry. The Suffis have four degrees and four
> > stages of initiation:1st, probationary, with a strict outward
> > observance of Mussulman rites, the hidden meaning of each 
ceremony and
> > dogma being explained to the candidate; 2nd, metaphysical 
training;
> > 3rd, the "Wisdom" degree, when the candidate is initiated into the
> > innermost nature of things; and 4 final Truth, when the Adept 
attains
> > divine powers, and complete union with the One Universal Deity in
> > ecstacy or Samâdhi.
> >
> > Other references in the same book will be found on pp 36, 105, 
118,
> > 156, 158, 216,
> >
> > On p. 280 the mysterious force ROWANEE is mentioned and H P B 
prints
> > there a contribution by W. W. W WESTCOTT
> >
> > ROWHANEE (Eg.) or Er-Roohanee. is the Magic of modern Egypt, 
supposed
> > to proceed from Angels and Spirits, that is Genii, and by the use 
of
> > the mystery names of Allah; they distinguish two forms-Ilwee, 
that is
> > the Higher or White Magic; and Suflee and Sheytanee, the Lower or
> > Black Demoniac Magic. There is also Es-Seemuja, which is 
deception or
> > conjuring. Opinions differ as to the importance of a branch of 
Magic
> > called Darb el Mendel, or as Barker calls it in English, the 
Mendal:
> > by this is meant a form of artificial clairvoyance, exhibited by a
> > young boy before puberty, or a virgin, who, as the result of
> > self-fascination by gazing on a pool of ink in the hand, with
> > coincident use of incense and incantation, sees certain scenes of 
real
> > life passing over its surface. Many Eastern travellers have 
narrated
> > instances, as E. W. Lane in his Modern Egyptians and his Thousand 
and
> > One Nights, and E. B. Barker; the incidents have been introduced 
also
> > into many works of fiction, such as Marryat's Phantom Ship, and a
> > similar idea is interwoven with the story of Rose Mary and the 
Beryl
> > stone, a poem by Rossetti. For a superficial attempt at 
explanation,
> > see the Quarterly Review, No.117 [w.w.w.]
> >
> > In another place (same book, p. 105) H P B indicates there is a
> > connection between the Sufis and the Druzes of Lebanon and Syria
> >
> > DRUZES . A large sect, numbering about 100,000 adherents, living 
on
> > Mount Lebanon in Syria. Their rites are very mysterious, and no
> > traveller, who has written anything about them, knows for a 
certainty
> > the whole truth. They are the Sufis of Syria. They resent being 
called
> > Druzes as an insult, but call themselves the "disciples of 
Hamsa ",
> > their Messiah, who came to them in the ninth century from 
the "Land of
> > the Word of God", which land and word they kept religiously 
secret.
> > The Messiah to come will be the same Hamsa, but called Hakem-the
> > All-Healer ". (See Isis Unveiled, II 308, et seq.)
> >
> > In the Glossary (p. 36) another reference associates them with 
the
> > "Assassins"
> >
> > ASSASSINS . A masonic and mystic order founded by Hassan Sabah 
in
> > Persia, in the eleventh century. The word is a European 
perversion of
> > "Hassan ", which forms the chief part of the name.
> > They were simply Sufis and addicted, according to the tradition, 
to
> > hascheesl-eating, in order to bring about celestial visions. As 
shown
> > by our late brother, Kenneth Mackenzie, "they were teachers of the
> > secret doctrines of Islamism; they encouraged mathematics and
> > philosophy, and produced many valuable works. The chief of the 
Order
> > was called Sheik-el-Jebel, translated the 'Old Man of the 
Mountains',
> > and, as their Grand Master, lie possessed power of life and 
death.'
> > ( p. 36)
> >
> > Thus the secret "societies" including the ancient order 
of "Masons,"
> > (builders, cosmocratores) was shown to be united in their 
teachings
> > concerning the origins and purpose of the World and our universe.
> >
> > Another entry of interest is here given ( p. 37)
> >
> > ASSYRIAN HOLY SCRIPTURES. Orientalists show seven such hooks: the
> > Books of Mamit, of Worship, of Interpretations, of Going to 
Hades; two
> > Prayer Books (Kanmagarri and Kanmikri: Talbot) and the Kantolité, 
the
> > lost Assyrian Psalter. (p. 37)
> >
> > ASSYRIAN TREE OF LIFE . "Asherah" (q.v.). It is translated in the
> > Bible by "grove ' and occurs 30 times. It is called an "idol"; and
> > Maachah, the grandmother of Asa, King of Jerusalem, is accused of
> > having made for herself such an idol, which was a lingham. For
> > centuries this was a religious rite in Judæa. But the original 
Asherah
> > was a pillar with seven branches on each side surmounted by a 
globular
> > flower with three projecting rays, and no phallic stone, as the 
Jews
> > made of it, but a metaphysical symbol. "Merciful One, who dead to 
life
> > raises! was the prayer uttered before the Asherah, on the banks 
of the
> > Euphrates. The "Merciful One ", was neither the personal god of 
the
> > Jews who brought the "grove" from their captivity, nor any extra-
> > cosmic god, but THE HIGHER TRIAD IN MAN SYMBOLIZED BY THE GLOBULAR
> > FLOWER WITH ITS THREE RAYS. ( p. 37)
> >
> > Further investigation shows a relationship with "Hamsa" as 
follows:
> > (p. 134)
> > HAMSA OR HANSA (Sk.) "Swan or goose", according to the 
Orientalists ;
> > a mystical bird in Occultism analogous to the Rosicrucian Pelican.
> > Tile sacred mystic name which, when preceded by that of KALA 
(infinite
> > time), i.e. Kalahansa, is name of Parabrahm ; meaning the " Bird 
out
> > of space and time". Hence Brahmâ (male)is called Hansa Vahana "the
> > Vehicle of Hansa (the Bird). We find the same idea in the Zohar, 
where
> > Ain Suph (the endless and infinite) is said to descend into the
> > universe, for purposes of manifestation, using Adam Kadmon 
(Humanity)
> > as a chariot or vehicle.
> >
> > HAMSA (Arab.). The founder of the mystic sect of the Druzes of 
Mount
> > Lebanon. (See "Druzes" .) [ see above ] (see MAHATMA LETTERS p. 
116,
> > Modern Panarion p. 375, S D II p. 27; H P B Articles III 
281...
> > "Lamas and Druzes" -- showing a relationship with the Tibetan
> > Esoteric philosophies.
> >
> > ISIS UNVEILED makes a very interesting reading if one is in 
search of
> > evidence relating to the past of Theosophy as seen in and at the 
base
> > of every ancient Theogony, Religion or Secret Society. These were
> > also closely related to the Egyptian and Greek MYSTERIES.
> > Best wishes
> >
> > Dallas
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Morten Nymann Olesen [mailto:global-theosophy@a...]
> > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 9:38 AM
> > To: Theos-Talk
> > Subject: Theos-World The word Sufi...
> >
> > Hi all of you,
> >
> > It is said that the word "Sufi" is a new one.
> > It is said to have German origin from year 1821.
> > The book by the author F.A.G. Thöluck is titled: "Ssufismus sive
> > Theosophia Persarum pantheistica" (Berlin 1821) - yes - in latin
> > The book has a title with the word Theosophy in it, and that is
> > interesting.
> > As H. P. Blavatsky uses the word "sufi", it could be interesting
> > to know in which books she has read that term --- if any reading 
took
> > place at all.
> > Someone says that the word has a distinct sound 
called 'SSSUUUFFF'.
> >
> > Do any of you have anything on this ?
> >
> > from
> > M. Sufilight
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to 
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >